Sequester pinches long-term unemployed even more, By Jim Zarroli, April 5, 2012, National Public Radio: “Almost 5 million Americans are considered long-term unemployed, meaning they have been searching for work for at least six months. This week, their plight is getting a bit tougher as the government cuts their unemployment benefits — part of the automatic reductions in federal spending that took effect recently…”
Tennessee’s unemployed wait hours to make claim, months to get a check, By Nate Rau and Tony Gonzalez, April 7, 2013, The Tennessean: “Pam Milam calls the many months she spent fighting for her unemployment benefits the most difficult time of her life. In the summer of 2011, Milam, who cut back her work hours so she could take care of her terminally ill husband, says she was given a choice by her employer: either return to work full time or be forced to resign. After she chose the latter, Milam, 52, of Hermitage, applied for unemployment benefits with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. She waited two months to be told her application was rejected on the grounds that she chose to quit, even though such forced resignations can be covered under the benefits program…”
GOP lawmakers seek to alter jobless benefits in good times, By Patrick Marley and Jason Stein, April 5, 2013, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Republican lawmakers want to cut in half how long those out of work can claim jobless benefits when the economy is good, while also modestly raising weekly payments and making dozens of other changes to the state’s unemployment system. At the start of next year under the GOP plan, laid-off workers could receive 26 weeks of benefits from the state when the unemployment rate is 8% or higher, but the number of weeks would decline to as few as 12 as the unemployment rate drops…”
UNICEF report: Canada ranks 17th of 29 for well-being of children, By Laurie Monsebraaten, April 10, 2013, Toronto Star: “If you think Canada is one of the best places to raise a child, think again. The latest report on the well-being of children in rich countries ranks Canada 17th out of 29, a score that hasn’t budged in almost a decade, according to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The country scored ‘below average’ grades for child poverty and obesity and children’s life satisfaction, says the report to be released Wednesday. The Netherlands ranked first overall, followed by Norway and Iceland. Romania was last…”
British children facing bleaker future than rest of Europe, warns Unicef, By Josie Ensor, April 10, 2013, The Telegraph: “A report by the UN children’s fund has found that they are worse off overall than in many other industrialised countries, including less wealthy nations such as Slovenia and the Czech Republic. The charity ranked the UK 16th out of 29 developed countries — three places higher than in its last report in 2007. While its overall rating for ‘child well-being’ has gone up, Britain now has the lowest number of young people in further education and one of the highest numbers of under-age drinkers and teenage pregnancies…”
